Process of producing low-carbon nickel alloys.



UNITED STATES PATENT FFTC EUGENE A. BYRNES, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRO METALLURGICAL COMPANY, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST vmemm v .IROCESS OF IPRODU'CING LOW-CERBON NICKEL ALLOYS.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, EUGENE A. BYRNES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia,

ess comprising two stages.

have invented-certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Producing Low- Carbon Nickel Alloys, of which the following is a specification.

Accordlng to the present invention, the

production of low-carbon nickel alloys, specifically ferrochromium containing nickel and 1} to 2% of carbon, is efiected by a proc- In the first stage, a product relatively high incarbon is made, for example the crude ferrochromium commonly produced by electrically smelting a mixture of chromite, carbon and a flux,

, containing from 5 to of'carbon. The

7 tion of nickel oxid is considerably lower high-carbon product is then subjected to the action of an oxido'I' nickel, while heatedto such-temperature as to efi'ect a reactionbe-' tween its contained carbon and the nickel oxid, whereby the carbon is oxidized and eliminated, the reduced nickel alloying with the decarburized metal.

The temperature required. for the. reducthan that required for chromium oxid, .and

' Fe to FeO=l173 Cal.

lower than that for iron oxids, as shown by the following figures: Heat evolved on the oxidation of 1 kilo of Ni to NiO =1051 Cal.

Heat evolved on'the oxidation ofl kilo of oxidation of 1 kilo of Fe to Fe O 1746 Cal.

Heat evolved on the oxidation of 1 kilo of Cr to Cr O =300O (2) Cal. (See Metallurgz'oal Calculations, by Richards, Vol. 2, pages 326 and 327 The process can therefore be carried out at temperaturesdowe'r than that required to produce the crude ferro-chromium. r

The process may be carried out either by 4 stirring nickel oxid into a molten body of the highcarbon metal or alloy; feeding nickel oxid into a bath of inert slag, for ex Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July- 1, .1908. Serial No. 441,341.

Heat evolved on the.

' Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

ample calcium aluminate, supported by the molten crude metal or alloy; running the molten crude metal or alloy into a yessel containing nickel oxid; passing or percolating a stream'of the crude metal or alloy through a granular body of nickel oxid; or melting a mixture of the broken crude metal or alloy 2. The processof producing low-carbon ferrochromium containing nickel, which consists 1n reactlng on high-carbon ferrochr'o 'mium, with nickel oxid, at a temperature lower than the reduction-temperature of chromium oxid.

3. The process of producin low-carbon ferrochromium contamin mckel, which consists in reactin on high-carbon ferrochromium with nickel oxid, by feeding nickel oxid into a bath of slag supported on the molten ferrochromium,

4. The process of producing low-carbon ferrochromium containin nickel, which consists in reacting on hlgh-carbon ferrochromium with nickel oxid, by feeding nickel oxid into a bath of calcium aluminate slag supported on the molten ferro-' chromium.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presenceof two witnesses.

. EUGENE A. BYRNES. Witnesses:

N.,P. LEONARD, M. E. BRAWNER. 

